Mechanical driving connection.



W. H. HERDMAN. MECHANICAL DRIVING CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, I914.

Patent-ed Dec. 14, 1915.

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COLUMBIA I'LANOGRAIII conwAslllNoTnN. IL 1:.

,WTED szrarn PATENT WILLIAM H. HERDMAN, or roa rrann, oaneon.

MECHANICAL DRIVING CONN ECTIQN.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM H. HERD- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Portland, county of Mnltnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Mechanical Driving Connections, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanical driving connections, and more particularlyto certain new and useful improvements in driving connections between power furnishing mechanism and a transmission mechanism, such, for example, as the driving connections between the engine and the running gear of automobiles, auto-trucks and the like, though the invention is adaptable for use as a driving connection between any driving and driven mechanisms.

Among the salient objects of my invention are,to provide in a mechanism of the character referred to an improved friction drive between driving and driven elements, with any variable speed from one to the other; and, in general, to provide an improved driving connection from a power-furnishing mechanism to the driven elements, with variable speeds, without the use of interchangeable gears With teeth or cogs which must be moved into mesh with each other during movements relative to each other.

In order that others may fully understand myinvention, I have illustrated one practical embodiment thereof on the accompanyingsheets of drawings, and in which it is shown applied to an automobile or autotruck mechanism.

In the drawings,Figure l is a plan view, with parts in section, showing so much of arunning-gear of a motor car as is necessary to illustrate my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view, with parts in elevation, showing one means for moving shaft 4 and .driving disk 5.longitudinally of their axis of rotation, Fig. 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view showing'the mechanism mounted on the under side of the cross member 2, and which mechanism is indicated in dotted lines in-Fig. 1 above; Fig. 4: is a side-elevation of a lever and connections for operating the reyersing mechanism.

Referringnow to Fig. 1, l l designate twoside members of a running gear frame, and 22 supporting cross members secured thereto.

3.designates a connecting flange member Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22, 1914.

Patented Dec. 114, 1915.

Serial No. 840,253.

adapted to be connected directly to the engine or power-furnishing mechanism (not shown), and is also adapted to receive therein the end of a driving shaft 4:, shown tobe square at its end and having a sliding or telescoping connection with said flange memher 3, for a purpose hereinafter again referred to. Mounted upon the opposite end of said driving shaft 4 is a driving friction disk 5.

I will now describe mechanism by means of which said driving shaft 4 and the friction disk can be moved slightly longitudie nally of their axis of rotation. A suitable boxing 6, with flanges 6 is mounted upon the support 2, and within this box is secured a casing 7 with bearing bushing 8 at one end, and a ball bearing runway or thrust block 9 in its opposite end, with bearing balls between it and the driving disk 5, as indicated. A cage of roller bearings, as 10, is mounted within the casing 7, around the shaft i, as indicated. Mounted upon the shaft 4, in the rear of said casing 7, is a collar 11, and within the casing is a sliding bearing block or plate 12. Mounted crosswise in said casing 7 is a cam shaft 13, having two eccentric cam portions l8--13 in operating connectionby means of hooks or horns 12 formed thereon, with said slide plate 12, whereby to move sald plate and said shaft 4, when said cam shaft 13 is turned by means of a hand lever 14 attached thereto. Thus by the movement of the lever 14, said driving shaft 4: and the driving friction disk 5 can be moved slightly, longitudinally of said shaft, the end of the shaft 4:

adapted to bear against the driving disk 5,

at right angles thereto, in the manner shown. Mounted upon the reduced portion of the shaft 15 is a sleeve 18,'adapted to turn thereon, and having slidably mounted thereon and keyed thereto, a second friction wheel 19, provided with a friction tire 19, also adapted to bear against the drivingdisk 5, at the opposite side of the center thereof. On the outer ends of the shaft 15 and sleeve 18, and driven therewith, are two sprocket wheels 20 and 21 over which run the sprocket chains 22 and 23. a

The friction wheels 17 and 19 are adapted to be moved simultaneously upon the shaft 15 and the sleeve 18, to which they are keyed, respectively, into different bearing positions against the disk 5, said wheels 17 and 19 being moved bodily laterally in opposite directions to and from the center of said disk 5 and toward and from eachother on opposite sides of the center of said disk, in a manner now to be described.

Mounted on the under side of the cross member 2, Figs. 1 and 3, is a pair of spread ing arms 24-24, connected at their outer ends, which are preferably made with two prongs each, to the wheels 17 and 19, as by meansof collars 25*25, and having pin and slot connections with the prongs of said arms 24-24, whereby when said arms are moved apartor together said friction wheels 17 and 19 are moved therewith. Said spreading arms are pivoted to the under side of said cross member 2, as at 2626, and are operated by means of togglelinks 2424, pivotally connected thereto at their outer ends, and at their meeting ends said links are pivotally connected to an operating block 27, slidably mounted in a slideway on the under side of said cross member 2, as indicated in Fig. 3. Said slide block 27 is adapted to be moved by means of a lever 28, madein two parts, with one part above and i 7 one part below said support 2, and both parts secured to the pivot shaft 26, extending through the support 2. An operating rod 29 runs to an operating hand lever (not shown) in any desired location. Thus by operating the lever 28, said spreading arms 2424, are operated to move said friction driving wheels 17 and 19 to and from each other, whereby to change their driving engagement with the driving friction disk 5, and thereby to change their speed.

Mounted across the running gear frame is a second shaft 30, with suitable anti-friction bearing boxes, as 3131. This shaft is driven through the sprocket chains 22 and 23, and to this end is provided at one end with a sprocket wheel 32, having direct driving connection with the sprocket wheel 20, through the sprocket chain 22. At its opposite end said shaft 30 is provided with a gear 33, in mesh with a gear 34, mounted upon a short shaft 35, which shaft also carries a sprocket wheel 36, driven from from the friction disk 5 I drive shaft 30 at both ends inthe same direction. mounted upon said'shaft 30 is a double beveled gear 37, keyed thereto so as to be driven therewith and at the same time to bemoved to put its oppositely facing gear teeth alternately into mesh with the beveled gear 38, mounted on a shaft 39, in the boxing or casing 40, supported upon the cross member 2,

at the rear of the running-gear frame, and within which casing is also mounted gear 37. As a means formoving said double gear37, I providea lever 41, 'operatingl'an Slidably eccentric cam 42, connectedwith a r0d43,

attached at its opposite end to a rocking arch member 44, operatively connected at 1ts opposite sides with a sleeve port-ion of said double gear 37,- as' indicated at"45.'

Thus by operating the hand lever 41,?the double gear 37 is moved upon the shaft 3Qgso that one or the other of its gear sets mesh with the beveled gear 38,- or said double gear can be moved to a neutral position, out of driving engagement with said beveled gear 38 whereby to absolutely j disconnect the drive from'the rear axle of the vehicle.

r The beveled gear 38 'isprovidedYwith roller bearings, as at '47 within ani' exten sion 40 of the casing 40. Said s'tub'shaft 38 has a sliding, driving connection with-the shaft 48',extending to a differential driving mechanism, designated as a whole D, said shaft 48 being inclosed in a tubular casing 49, extending from the casing-of a differential mechanism D, and having a telescoping engagement with the extension 40".

An important feature of the invention not heretofore described is a supporting the invention as here embodied for purposes of illustration without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not, therefore,

limit the invention to the particular forms here shown, except as I may belimit'ed by the hereto appended claims.

I claim, 1. In a mechanical driving mechanism, a friction driving disk, a shaft revolubly mounted in front of said disk, a sleeveflrevolubly mounted on said shaft and eXtending over only a part of its length, friction driving wheels mounted, respectively on said shaft and said sleeve and having drivinc connections therewith and .slidable thereon, said wheels-standing at rightangles to said driving disk and bearing thereagainst, and means for simultaneously sliding said friction wheels toward and from each other at opposite sides of the center of said friction disk, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a mechanical driving mechanism, a friction driving disk, a shaft revolubly mounted in front of said disk, a sleeve revolubly mounted 011 said shaft and extending over only a part of its length, a supporting member for said shaft and sleeve, having a ball bearing connection therewith, two friction driving wheels mounted, respectively, on said shaft and said sleeve and having driving connections therewith and slidable thereon, said wheels standing at right angles to said driving disk and hearing thereagainst, means for simultaneously sliding said friction Wheels toward and from each other at opposite sides of said supporting member, and driving means mounted upon said shaft and said sleeve, substantially as described.

3. In a mechanical driving mechanism, in combination, a friction driving disk, a shaft therefor, supporting, anti-friction bearing means for said shaft, anti-friction bearings between said driving disk and said supporting, anti-friction bearing means, adapted to take the thrust of said disk, means for moving and holding said shaft and said friction driving disk in opposite directions longitudinally of said shaft, a shaft mounted transversely in front of said disk, a sleeve member mounted upon said shaft, a supporting member for said shaft and sleeve connected thereto near the end of said sleeve, two driving wheels having driving connections, respectively, with said shaft and said sleeve member and slidable thereon in opposite directions, and means for simultaneously sliding said driving wheels toward and from the center of said friction driving disk, substantially as described.

4. In a driving mechanism of the character referred to, in combination, a driving friction disk, means for moving and holding the same in difi'erent positions of adjustment longitudinally of its aXis of rota tion, a supporting shaft in front of said disk, a sleeve member carried by said shaft, two friction wheels mounted, respectively, on said shaft and said sleeve member and hearing against said disk, means for moving Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

